What happened to the website that was supposed to open today????? that was supposed to be called www.festathomewooddays.org?????? Anyone have any luck locating it????????

Hope everyone looks at the reviews here too: http://homewood-flossmoor.patch.com/articles/chamber-president-responds-to-homewood-days-dissent The chamber of Commerce and the Village of Homewood are equally responsible for this mess. When things go good they want all the accolades and credit but when they go bad they blame others and take NO responsibility. The mayor is already distancing himself even though the Chamber kept him updated on what they were doing and he approved. We need real leadership in both these entities and not a bunch of fakes running Homewood into the ground.......

I really like Homewood days. I did not go this year because we weren't able to, but maybe instead of cancelling it we could go back to it's roots of being a 'sidewalk sale' and doing things in downtown Homewood f o r the community and businesses. I lived being able to watch it grow into a great summer event that we always looked forward to. Maybe it just got a little too big and out of hand. I'm sure we can scale it back a little and it can be just as much fun as it used to be.

I get the rationale behind outsourcing rather than relying on volunteer labor to run an event this size on an annual basis. Highly motivated volunteers can be fantastic, but you can't depend on getting them every year and there's a real issue with accountability when you depend on volunteers. That said, I think there needs to be some strategic thinking about what Homewood Days is for and what it's supposed to accomplish. If it's going to be a typical suburban carnival, with generic food & rides, then downtown is NOT the venue for it. Put it in a contained space like a park or mall parking lot, that can be secured & monitored properly and doesn't disrupt the lives of residents who don't want to participate -- or endanger them. The reports of people getting mobbed as they walk down Ridge Road should be enough to cancel Homewood Days -- at least in its present format -- altogether. I think the Chamber needs to engage the Village & the community in meaningful discussions about what Homewood Days should be before they start any planning for next year.

As an employee of a Homewood bar and attendee of Homewood days, Homewood should be ashamed of themselves. Mike Wilson, there was committee that chose to let the management company charge each Homewood business a few thousand dollars to even HAVE a booth or tent at Homewood Days, not to mention those that would participate would have to purchase kegs and liquor through the Chicago vendor that was chosen. It was a profit situation for the vendor, management company, and village of Homewood and the local businesses would have not only not have made any profit, but would have had to do all the dirty work as well. I worked, in doors, all weekend long serving drinks to the disappointed people of Homewood. I would also like to point out that I thought it was absolutely absurd and offensive that the people charging money at one of the openings tried to make me pay money to get through so I could get to my appointment to look at an apartment on Dixie Highway. Strong work, Homewood!

I agree with the consensus....what a waste! If the village can't get local support I say lose it all together. People coming from surrounding burbs probably felt like they were swindled. Great way to promote Homewood people!!
Besides the $5 entrance fee, I had the privledge of paying $8 to have a water balloon fight with my daughter. Yowsa!!!

Homewood Days was a huge disappointment. I have nothing good to say about anything except we enjoyed M&R Rush. There were very limited food choices, and we ended up buying sandwiches from a vendor from Oswego. Oswego?? There was no sense of community, because so many of the local businesses (5th Quarter and Bogarts) were not welcome and were expected to pay huge fees to participate. The rides for the kids were overpriced, as usual. I wish I had my $5 entrance fee back. Here is a suggestion ... for Homewood RESIDENTS, how about we get in for free, since it is supposed to be HOMEWOOD Days?

The way I understand it, and this isn't first-hand knowledge, is that the running of Homewood Days was left open to locals to run but that nobody wanted the job. So they farmed it out. If you don't like it, next year put a committee together and run it yourselves.

I will jump on the bandwagon as well. This was a bad decision to hire an outside company to run Homewood Days. If this is the way it is going to be from now on, it should just be cancelled altogether. It is sad that for safety reasons we had to be fenced in but to not have any of the bars outside serving just did not make it any fun. We had already gotten to the point of not going before the change and now for sure we won't go anymore. Vendors from Chicago making Sangria? Really? Just cancel it.

totally lame-o! and how is bringing in a sangria station from CHICAGO bars being Homewood??? serioulsy? this is supposed to be to support the local businesses and the HOMEWOOD community!

I don't know if you are the organization ultimately responsible for Homewood Days this year, but I have to tell you how disappointing it was. First, having to $5 to get in to something so small was ridiculous! Second, all the curbs that have access for disabled persons are blocked by the tables where we have to pay our $5. The curb access has been blocked every year and to be honest with you, it is a form of discrimination!

The vendors this year all carried the same exact thing. There was no variet,y nothing new and exciting! It was so small crowded, & to be honest,so boring, we left and won't be back. I talked to a couple of the people that had booths and they weren't happy at all. One lady didn't hear until two days ago where her booth would be located and she is actually in a different spoy all together!

I do not know whose idea and/or decision it was to bring an outside company in to run Homewood Days, but it was NOT a good decision and/or idea!!!!

Bring back the old Homewood Days!!!!! If this Homewood Days is what it is going to be like from now on, the only people going to Homewood Days will be teenagers who just hang out and don't really spend a lot of money.

How sad that something that used to be fun and a good time, isn't any more.

Sincerely,

Teri K. Baldwin

The only positive thing I can say about Homewood Days is that there were local food vendors. I was told that there weren't any local vendors but that turned out to false.